I haven't increased the price of my cheese in a decade, says Yorkshire cheesemaker

The workshops have proved such a hit - drawing in visitors from all over the globe - that the local economy has received a boost, local dairies are used and customers at farmers markets where Simon sells his mouth-watering wares can enjoy competitive prices.

"I wanted to create a product that had its roots in Yorkshire using local milk and selling to local people, we then over time have expanded the range of cheese we create and now successfully run one of the UKs best cheese making courses.

"We've gone from around 60 people a year visiting us at Reeth to now around 600-700 from all over the world - all enjoying the beauty of the stunning Yorkshire dales, bringing money into the local economy.

"I've increased my cheese production and that means increasing milk bought from local dairies from around 6,500 litres per year to around 65-70 thousand litres per year, and as I run so many experiences I have been able to use the revenue earned from them to subsidise my prices.

"This means I've never increased the price of cheese I sell at the local farmers markets for more than 10 years now. That hugely helps my customers who, like all of us, are facing an increased cost of living - meaning I retain my customer base and increase them, we've also been able to employ my youngest daughter full time."

The thriving business, which Simon owns along with wife Amanda, is very much a family one.

A father of five, Simon, 53, involves all of his children - with his youngest Connell, aged just 12, earning a wage of £15 a week for his contribution helping out at the markets.

His 23-year-old daughter Poppy works full time at the business and he says all four of his daughters have helped out at some time.

Simon's journey began when he was working for a cheese company and was approached by Richmond Railway Station in North Yorkshire, a vibrant creative space and a community hub in Richmond’s re-imagined station buildings, who he says were after a cheese maker.

He set up a little cheese factory there in 2006 and it went from strength to strength - with the workshops being set up in 2010.

Lacey’s make a variety of cheeses from sweet cheddars to crumbly Wendsleydales, tangy goats cheeses to creamy blues as well as show stopping cheese wedding cakes. The workshops, Simon says, are an excellent way for people to bond, be part of a team and find out about the whole cheese making process.

He also runs a gelato making workshop and likes to include the ice cream in the day.

"They come in the morning at 10am and spend around six hours turning 3 to 5,000 litres of milk into soft and hard cheese on the day. They learn how to cut and hand wax the cheese by dipping the cheese in wax.

"They also learn how to use a cheese iron, grade the cheese, taste the cheese - they go through the whole process.

"Because it is a six hour day, we talk through the whole process - how we mature cheese, grading cheese and waxing it.

"They are starting with fresh milk and they learn every detail - about the cows, farm, the grass - they learn about everything." Simon says the workshop, while being a fun day out experience, is also useful in that visitors can take home their knowledge and adapt it to make cheese in their own kitchens.

He says: "We have lots of guests who go home and successfully make cheese at home.

"We teach them how to adapt it and many, many people successfully make cheese at home with just what they have in their kitchen."

"Through the day they have a big lunch of cheese, served with local chutneys and ice cream.

"They are cutting and waxing the cheese and then they get to take home a goody box with the cheeses they have made and I always pop in bits and bobs with it."

Simon says post pandemic, so many people still find themselves isolated working from home and spending a lot of time in solitude and he finds what visitors really enjoy as well as the fun of the cheese making process is the camaraderie and the team experience.

He says: "People are totally embracing being part of something together. There are people working alone and being alone - this is embracing being part of a team - starting a process and ending a process.

"This is my job but then I get to see how much people enjoy it and I find it really humbling.

"When I read the positive reviews on Tripadvisor it makes me feel really honoured and humble."

Simon grew up in Germany and went to 11 schools as a child, living in places as far flung as Hong Kong before settling in Yorkshire.

He says his father being Irish and his mother Maltese they met in Catterick due to his grandparents coming over after the War from Malta.

"Because we had family here we would always gravitate back to Yorkshire, I then chose to settle here after school finished."

Dedicated to his craft, Simon works 75 hours a week but says the rewards are immense.

He is connected to 25 farmers markets and covers the whole of the North East from Newcastle to York within a 50 mile radius.

He says: "In a 50 miles radius of Reeth every market town has a farmer's market once a month.

"You spend a lot of time alone making cheese so it's really nice when you meet up with traders.

"It might be a wet, windy February day but you feel an allegiance.

"It's hard work but I get to spend my days making cheese and meeting amazing people."

Simon's other workshop - his gelato making course is aimed at families. Visitors work together as a family in a small class to make their own gelato ice cream from scratch using lots of local milk. As the creations are being made guests enjoy refreshments – milkshakes for children and hot drinks for the adults, or milkshakes all round and plenty of biscuits.

He runs both his workshops through Uniquely Local, who hand pick unique Yorkshire based gifts and experiences.

About the cheese making workshop they say: "This is an incredibly fun and rewarding day where you will not only learn new skills but you will take home samples of cheese to impress your family and friends with.

"An absolute cracker for all cheese lovers."

laceyscheese.co.uk